Oh wow, what a response.
Thanks for all the thanks, for those who thanked.
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Originally Posted by twitchyzero excellent post, but i think 1 & 2 is too hobo-like and if your workplace can offer you more hours i rather take those time-consuming hours and work unless you find that to be a hobby.
I call BS on #5's example, #7 sounds like the people that annoy me, #18's controversial and #19 is lulz (and isn't claiming same thing twice insurance fruad?) |
#1 and #2 - we live at the end of an alley, so my sister and I just check the block our house is on every once in a while if we happen to walk by. Our neighbours actually leave stuff of value next to their trash cans, sometimes even with a note saying "FREE". Same with empties. They'll actually put it in the alley next to their blue boxes, or at the very top. We're not talking about dumpster diving here.

As for electronics, I drop the leftovers off at a recycler. If someone doesn't take them, they'll just end up in that Cache Creek landfill. So I'm saving a couple of trees as well.
#5 - You tell me if anything below is newer than 2005.

The only upgrade I've done is a Wi-Fi b/g card I got from Telus for free in Feb 2009. Before then I had a 4-port LAN router (donated of course

) rigged to the machine near my feet and a bunch of wires running throughout the house.
PC: (the one I am typing this post on)
Athlon XP-64 3500+
2GB DDR400 (all donated; I was on 512MB DDR333 until 2008)
GeForce 6800
Dual 19" CRTs (both chucked from my neighbour

) - only one of them is flat

250GB + 80GB + 80GB IDE HDDs (yes, 3 hard drives; 1 was donated)
Sound Blaster Audigy 1 - works very well with my donated 2.1 speakers.

PS/2 keyboard and mouse (from my previous 2002 machine)
Laptop: Acer Aspire 3002 - bought used in 2005. According to the label it was built in May 2003. The only upgrade on it is 2GB of DDR333, done in Dec 2009. Before that it had 512MB.
Both machines run MS Office, Firefox 3.6, and Youtube (480p on laptop, 720p on desktop) just fine.

Computers last WAY more than 2 years if you're not a hardcore gamer. This isn't 1993. And yes, a GeForce6 is more than enough to play Modern Warfare 2 if you don't run full detail at 1920 x 1080. I'll send you my save file proving I beat the game if you want.

I have a couple of friends still using 2002-era machines with using GeForce 4s in their main computers, and both aren't exactly poor either. In fact, one guy owns a house.
#7 - My friends actually like it when I take their old stuff. Saves them a trip to the recycling place or whatnot. Mind you I'm taking junk they were gonna get rid of anyways, not stealing or leeching from them. In fact, now they automatically ask me if I want to look over their stuff before they junk it.
#18 - CRA hasn't said anything and obviously they are aware of it every time they do my NOA. If you want to overpay your taxes, be my guest.
#19 - Why is that fraud? That's just not being stupid. You're basically splitting a big dental job into 2 portions, then doing them one at a time. I'm not telling you to fix the same teeth twice. And you ARE paying a price: going another year with a few crooked teeth.

Of course, if you weren't dumb, you'd have an appointment in December and another in January. Another good example is laser eye surgery - do 1 eye at a time!
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Originally Posted by WilsonSo13 You must have a proud father |
He's even cheaper than I am, so actually, in his eyes I'm a disappointment.

I won't walk 8km to save $2 in bus money (unless I'm drunk and lost my wallet and cell phone). And yes, he still calls me a "big spender" and "money waster".
You ain't seen cheap. I know people who charge their electronics at other ppl's houses every time they visit.
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Originally Posted by taylor192 I used to return all my emptys in Ontario, no way I'm doing it here. $5 isn't worth hanging out with the hobos. |
Not sure where you're returning empties but I just do it at the liquor store right before buying my next batch of beer? No hobos there last time I checked.
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This is known as boring and c'lai-ing. Please never drive like this, my grandma drove faster.
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I drive like this all the time, unless it's a weekend rip through the mountains. The biggest difference between myself and a C-lai is that I'm a Roadstar. So can we still hang out?
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Cut your cell plan! I have a My5 plan and a separate $4 unlimited calling plan where you call one number, then the number you want to dial. I added the access number as one of my MY5 numbers, and programmed every number in my address book to: <access number><pause><pause><number> == unlimited calling 24/7.
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What's your monthly bill? I'm wondering if I can top your expenses in this department.

With that said, I must say I'm impressed at the ingenuity of your scheme here.
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This should be #1. This is often a person's worst monthly expense. I make a big meal every Sun, and likewise package the leftover for lunches.
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I love how people tell me they're broke, then buy a $11 sandwich.
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For those with RRSPs, you can choose to get the taxes back every paycheque instead of waiting to file taxes. File form T1213.
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Good call. I do that as well. T1213 is "Tax Deductions at source". Of course, this doesn't work for everyone as not everyone needs to buy RRSPs or has regular tax deductions.
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Originally Posted by Roach There are some very good points here. However, why not use that time and energy to focus on ways to earn more money? Whether it be a second job, investments, a side business or furthering your education. So be it. |
You can be cheap while holding a 2nd job and investing too you know.

That's exactly what I'm doing right now.
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Originally Posted by LiquidTurbo You're missing the point. A lot of ppl get a kick out of spending time and energy to be cheap. |
I admit I'm one of them, and a lazy one at that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RabidRat disagree. you just have to be smart with the modding. buy USED, whatever you can get away with (do your research first, lots of it, so you know what to look out for), and buy below market value. |
QFT. I've probably saved about $10k in mods this way on this car alone. MB parts are stupidly expensive. Examples of stealer prices: $3000 for a set of 17" wheels, $4400 for a GPS unit, $900 for a 6-CD changer, and $2400 for a phone kit (using a custom super-advanced V60

).

Mind you, the tradeoff is that it took me 6.5 years to finally get every mod I wanted.
I just remembered a couple more points.
20) Stay at home as long as you can until you're ready to buy. I don't know why people voluntarily spend $1k/mo renting some shack in Yaletown then bragging to people that they "have a place". Last time I checked, your landlord's getting rich, not you. Sure there's the occasional argument with the 'rents, but this will also teach you the art of getting along with others.

Of course, not everyone has this luxury (such as those who move to another city for work). This point alone will probably save you more than the other 19 points I listed.
21) Predrink when you go clubbing. Very easy to do if you're at a buddy's place close to the club or your friend's the DD. You can get toasted for less the price of a couple of watered-down drinks inside. Of course, you can save way more $ by not going clubbing at all, and throwing a house party or group dinner instead. Personally I see clubbing as
"paying a ton of $$$ to freeze outside and go deaf inside". Can't they turn it down a couple of notches in those places??
Just tallied up my potential monthly savings here (averaged for one-time deals like vacations).. I'll be conservative with the numbers.
1) $10
2) $50
3) $15
4) $25
5) $70
6) $20
7) N/A
8) $50 after taxes
9) $100 (my portion of the bill)
10) $30
11) $100
12) $20
13) $30
14) $10
15) $5
16) $10 (based on 1 movie in the theatre a month, I go way less than that.

)
17) $150 (I still eat out once a week for lunch)
18) $80 (opportunity cost)
19) $50
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Total: $695/mo, or $8340/year after taxes. Before taxes, that's about $10.4k.
Not sure about you guys, but to me that's not a bad deal at all.
Now just imagine if you also did 20) and 21), and stuck it out for a few years.. hello downpayment.